


The True Lab

by Adaurora



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, just a quick friend thing i wrote because i have a lot of feelings about alphys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-16
Updated: 2015-10-16
Packaged: 2018-04-26 14:38:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5008549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Adaurora/pseuds/Adaurora
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"But knowing, deep down, that I have friends to fall back on... I know it'll be a lot easier to stand on my own."</p>
            </blockquote>





	The True Lab

**Author's Note:**

> Because I'm a sucker for hugs and gosh I want to give Alphys so many hugs.

     They tried not to show it, but this place was really starting to get to them. The dimly lit hallways, the cracked walls, the echos that sounded from their feet and who knows what else. The monitors that turned on as they walked by weren't helping, the entry logs found on them even less so. 

     Frisk was really worried about Alphys.

     Considering the circumstances, logs and creepy laboratory and all, Frisk wondered if anyone else would be worried rather than angry or upset. They figured it doesn't really matter. They wanted- no, should have been a better friend. And Frisk could tell something was bothering her. It had been closer to a gut feeling shortly after they had met, but became apparent after Alphys confided in them about the lies.

      _'But if you don't ever hear from me again...'_ Remembering the words made them shudder. Once on the phone Undyne brought up something similar, Alphys staring into an abyss, looking "contemplative." It all added up and Frisk didn't like the thought. They walked just a little faster down the dark hallways.

     Frisk finally found themself in the room they started in, the four colored bulbs on the large door dimly pulsing with light. They buy another bag of Popato Chisps before reminding themself of their determination and walking through the door to the power room. Except it doesn't look like a power room. It looks like an elevator. With two doors. Frisk doubted it would work, but they tried to press the buttons on the panel. None of them worked, so they continued through the elevator's other door.

     Finding themself in yet another hallway, they continue walking, full of determination. They pass by another monitor and it doesn't turn on. Walking up closer doesn't seem to do anything either. The same goes for the next monitor, and Frisk isn't sure which is creepier at this point: the fact that most of the screens down here activated on their own through motion sensors, or the fact that these two alone were shut off. They ignored it and walked around the corner. After what seemed like ages of walking through the dark laboratory, they find what they think controls the power. They turn on the power and the room immediately feels colder and heavier.

     Oh no.

     Turning around, they hear the chilling sounds, the discordant voices, and they see it. The amalgamates coming closer, there are at least four, but Frisk can't actually tell. This is bad. Surviving against one alone is hard enough, but four? The sounds are louder now. This was bad. The amalgamates are getting too close for comfort. This is really-

     "Hey! Stop!!!" Comes a shout from the end of the hallway, and the amalgamates look... surprised. Sort of. Alphys comes running into the room, nearly shouting. "I got you guys some food, okay!?" The amalgamates look... happier at that, and leave the room quickly. Frisk felt better seeing Alphys though. 

     "Sorry about that..." she starts, looking to the side, "They get kind of sassy when they don't get fed on time. I think they smelled the potato chips you had, and..." She turns back around to face you. "Anyway! The power went out, and I've been trying to turn it back on! But it seems like you were one step ahead of me... This was probably just a big inconvenience for you..." Frisk feels a pang of guilt at that, if they could find the words to say they'd tell her that it wasn't, that they didn't mind, but they can't find the right words.

     "B-but I appreciate that you came here to back me up! As I said, I was afraid I might... not come back... But, that's not because of these guys or anything!" And Frisk didn't think so, either. "I was just worried I would be too afraid... To tell the truth... That I might run away, or do something," she hangs on the end of the sentence before saying "...cowardly." She's silent for a while and they wait for her to speak. They'll wait as long as they need to.

     Alphys turns to the side again before she starts to speak. "Uh, I... I suppose I owe you an explanation. As you probably know, Asgore to study the nature of souls. During my research, I isolated a power I called "determination."" She turns to face them again. "I injected it into dying monsters so their souls would last after death. But the experiment failed. You see, unlike humans', monsters' bodies don't have enough... Physical matter to take those concentrations of determination. Their bodies started to melt, and lost what physicality they had. Pretty soon, all of the test subjects had melted together into... Those.

     "Seeing them like this, I knew... I couldn't tell their families about it. I couldn't tell _anyone_ about it. No matter how much everyone was asking me. And I was too afraid to do any more work, knowing everything I'd done so far had been such a horrific failure." She pauses and sighs, "But now. Now, I've changed my mind about all this. I'm going to tell everyone what I've done."

     Alphys closes her eyes. "It's going to be hard. Being honest, believing in myself... I'm sure there will be times where I'll struggle. I'm sure there will be times where I screw up again." Her eyes open, and her expression seems softer. "But knowing, deep down, that I have friends to fall back on... I know it'll be a lot easier to stand on my- own?"

     Frisk thinks that Alphys must not have noticed they stood up and moved toward her, because she sounded surprised at the sudden hug. For a moment they were worried she was uncomfortable, until they felt arms circling their own back, too. Frisk heard her say a small "Thank you," and they tightened their hug. They didn't have anything to say, but they hoped this got the message across.

     Alphys stepped back after a few moments, and the amalgamates came back into the room. She turned to face them, saying, "Come on, guys. It's time for everyone to go home." She followed them out of the room and Frisk followed behind a few steps back. They turned the corner and froze when they heard a familiar click. Turning their head, they looked at the monitor, this one red, a large smiley face imposed directly over the entry, making it difficult to read until they walked closer.

* * *

  _ENTRY NUMBER 8_

_I've chosen a candidate._

_I haven't told Asgore yet, because I want to surprise him with it..._

_In the center of his garden, there's something special._

_The first golden flower, that grew before all the others._ _The flower from the outside world._

_It appeared just before the queen left._

_I wonder... What happens when something without a SOUL gains the will to live?'_

* * *

     Frisk suddenly felt numb, realizing which flower the entry was probably talking about. They continued walking, and the second monitor turned itself on as well, large red smiling face staring right at Frisk just like the last one had. It wasn't as hard to read, because it was significantly shorter.

* * *

  _'ENTRY NUMBER 18_

_the flower's gone.'_

* * *

     They were finding it hard to walk now, footsteps feeling heavy, and they weren't sure why. All they could do was continue down the hallway, leave the laboratory and go through the core once again to speak with Asgore. _It was much creepier before you found Alphys_ , they try to assure themself.

     Frisk walks through the door of the elevator and their phone rings, stopping them mid-step. None of their calls to Papyrus and Undyne had gone through earlier. They answer the phone and slowly bring it up to their ear. 

     "Chara... Are you there?" The voice says, they've never heard it before. And who is- "It's been a long time, hasn't it...? But you've done well." What? "Thanks to you, everything has fallen into place. Chara... See you soon." The call ends and the two elevator doors shut. The elevator rises rapidly, the rough shaking knocks Frisk off of their feet.

     They called for help. ... But nobody came.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Okay! So! This was essentially me just re-writing this part (mostly toward the end) for the heck of it. I really love Alphys and I just want to give her many hugs, so I ended up projecting this onto Frisk, oops.
> 
> At the end, the "They called for help. ... But nobody came." was how I felt when I got into the elevator and it took off the way it did after Alphys had just left. It was pretty shocking, and I could only imagine Frisk calling out to Alphys, even though they actually probably wouldn't. Oh well. I had fun writing this. I have more Undertale writings planned, maybe. College keeps me busy.
> 
> Also, I had no better idea for a title. Eh. Oh well.


End file.
